Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2)
Determination of Normal Concentration Levels of Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn and Se in Urine of the Population in the Czech Republic
Beneš B., Spěváčková V., Šmíd J., Čejchanová M., Kaplanová E., Černá M., Gajewská V., Blatný J.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):3-5 
Knowledge of normal levels of concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, and Se) in the population serves, among others, in design of regulations concerning health protection, determination of exposition limits and prevention of diseases caused by deficiency of trace elements. Concentrations of the named elements in urine of the Czech population were determined by means of atomic absorption spectrometry. The urine has been collected during 1996-2000 from 1192 individuals (816 males and 376 females, average age 34.6 years) and 2008 children (1052 boys and 956 girls, average age 9.9 years). Mineralization in a microwave digestion system was...
Comparative Investigation of Airborne Culturable Microorganisms in Sewage Treatment Plants
Haas D.U., Reinthaler F.F., Wüst G., Posch J., Ruckenbauer G., Marth E.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):6-10
The present study investigated emissions and immissions of airborne microorganisms (mesophilic bacteria, Escherichia coli, molds, Aspergillus fumigatus, thermophilic actinomycetes/bacilli) in sewage treatment plants. For the aerobiological investigations three sewage treatment facilities with an activated-sludge process, capacities between 2000 and 28000 PE and different cleaning steps were selected.The measurements of microorganism emission were conducted in the area of the intake (screen), in the area of biological treatment (activated sludge tank) and at a distance of 10 m from the activated sludge tanks. In order to determine the immission,...
The Role of Traditional Mediterranean type of Diet and Lifestyle in the Development od Acute Coronary Syndromes: Preliminary results from Cardio2000 Study
Panagiotakos D.B., Pitsavos C., Chrysohoou C., Stefanadis C., Toutouzas P.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):11-15
The traditional Mediterranean type of diet is inversely associated with the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between Mediterranean type of diet, various lifestyle factors and their contribution to the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes. During 2000, a case-control study was conducted (CARDIO2000) and food items as well as olive oil consumption were recorded in addition to various cardiovascular risk factors. Based on the estimated risk model we found that the Mediterranean type of diet reduces significantly the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes even in the presence of...
Pathophysiology of Vibration-induced White Fingers - Current Opinion: A Review
Liapina M., Tzvetkov D., Vodenitcharov F.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):16-20
Vibration-induced white finger (VWF) is secondary Raynaud's phenomenon caused by vibrating hand tools. Initially described in 1911 by Loriga, the pathophysiology of VWF remains unclear. This review attempts to summarize the current common and the most modern theories of the pathogenesis of VWF and propose a model of multifactorial etiology. The role of vasoregulatory abnormalities - autonomic dysfunction, local vasoregulatory abnormalities, of the endothelial cell control, of heamostasis, fibrinolysis and haemorrheology, of the leukocyte activation and the levels cell adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines have been reviewed.
Prevalence of Rubella-specific IgG Antibody in Non-immunized Pregnant Women in Maiduguri, North eastern Nigeria
Bukbuk D.N., El Nafaty A.U., Obed J.Y.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):21-23
The prevalence of IgG antibody specific to the rubella virus was assessed in 207 consenting pregnant women. The women were in the age range of 14 to 40 years (mean 25.8 years) and parity range of 0 to 8 (mean para 4), in their first and second trimesters of pregnancy. All attended the antenatal clinic of a tertiary health facility (University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital) in northeastern Nigeria.Of the 207 serum samples tested, 112 (54.1 %) were positive for rubella IgG antibody. In this area therefore, the proportion of susceptible pregnant women to rubella virus is up to 46 %.The results from this study also indicated that with increased...
The Effect of Low Level Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation on the Excretion Rates of Stress Hormones in Operators During 24-hour Shifts
Vangelova K., Israel M., Mihaylov S.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):24-28
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of long term exposure to low level radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) radiation on the excretion rates of stress hormones in satellite station operators during 24-hour shifts. Twelve male operators at a satellite station for TV communications and space research were studied during 24-hour shifts. Dosimetric evaluation of the exposure was carried out and showed low level exposure with specific absorption of 0.1127 J.kg-1. A control group of 12 unexposed male operators with similar job task and the same shift system were studied, too. The 11oxycorticosteroids (11-OCS), adrenaline and noradrenaline...
Smokers - Vitamin C - Hypercholesterolaemia
Hijová E., Kuchta M., Petrášová D.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):29-31
Cigarette smoking is one of the major public health problems of our times. Smokers are damaged by free radicals formed during smoking. The antioxidant capacity of smokers is reduced. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency in heavy smokers with a total cholesterol more than 6.7 mmol/l ranges from 35-55 %. It is mediated by smoking, by its low dietary intake by preferential high dietary intake of saturated and unsaturated fats.Vitamin C is an important water soluble antioxidant, therefore its intake can at least partially reduce the unfavourable effect of smoking caused by the attack of free radicals on the organism when smokers are unable to quit...
The "Cost" of Silence
Tsaneva L., Danev S.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):32-34
Changes in the organism of control desk operators caused by difficulties faced during productionally relevant speech information processing under conditions of intense occupational noise, represent the psychophysiological "cost" of noise masking. Its presence attests to difficulties in processing before deterioration of the quality of the latter while its quantitative characterisation correlates positively with the degree of the masking effect of noise and with the neuropsychic stress of this particular type of work. For this reason an attempt is made to demonstrate noise masking under laboratory conditions with it approximate quantitative evaluation...
Genetic-biochemical Criteria for Individual Sensitivity in Development of Occupational Bronchopulmonary Diseases
Izmerov N.F., Kuzmina L.P., Tarasova L.A.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):35-41
Human individual sensitivity to health-hazardous occupational factors and probability of developing chronic lung diseases depend on genetic variation of serum and erythrocytic proteins. The present work was aimed at studying the phenotypes of serum and erythrocytic proteins in patients with occupational respiratory diseases. We studied 7 highly polymorphic genetic systems the varieties of which may be connected with development of bronchopulmonary pathology (BPP) and the immune status of the body: proteinase inhibitor (Pi), third component of the complement (C3), transferrin (Tf), group-specific component of blood serum (Gc), haptoglobin (Hp), erythrocytic...
Virus Isolation Data from Water of Some European Rivers: An Overview
Nestor I.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):42-59
The present overview is the result of our scrutiny of data concerning the presence of viruses in the water of diverse European rivers. These data were assembled from the published literature - articles, doctoral theses and reports from investigations conducted by environmental virologists beginning during the final years of the sixth decenium of the twentieth century, first in France, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Ukraine, U.S.A. then in other European and countries worldwide. The overview covers the methodology referring both to water sampling (by gauze pads or by grab procedures), and to virus detection methods, including virus concentration from large...
MLEE and PFGE Characterization of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup C and B Isolated in the Slovak Republic in 1998
Karelová E., Křížová P., Musílek M.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):60-65
In the Slovak Republic the incidence and mortality of invasive meningococcal disease increased after 1995 when the new meningococcal clone of Neisseria meningitidis C:2a:P1.2,P1.5, ET-1.5/37 emerged. The new clone spread between 1995 and 1998 throughout the whole country.Morbidity of invasive meningococcal disease was 1,6/100 000 of the population and fatality reached the highest level of 23 % in the Slovak Republic in 1998. The new clone caused a new emergent epidemiological and clinical situation. The occurrence of invasive meningococcal disease caused by this clone has continually risen since 1995. In 1998 72 % of all diseases in Slovakia were...
The Comparison of Aluminium Effects and Uptake by Escherichia coli in Different Media
Bojić A., Purenović M., Kocić B., Mihailović D., Bojić D.
Cent Eur J Public Health 2002, 10(1-2):66-71
The investigation of the toxic effects and the uptake of aluminium by Escherichia coli in growth medium (GM) and in physiological solution (PS) have been studied. The toxicity was quantitatively determined according to the decrease of the colony forming units (CFU) in the physiological solution, that is its growth inhibition in the growth medium, vs. the aluminium concentration and incubation time, at pH 5.2, 6.2 and 7.2. The uptake of aluminium was investigated by determining the intracellular aluminium in dry weights (DW), by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry, considering that aluminium adsorbed to the cell surface was removed...